Authorities in Florida reported that a father and his two young children were found dead inside a home in Cocoa in what investigators believe was an apparent murder-suicide. The victims were identified as 5-year-old Aria Dingwall, 7-year-old Remy Dingwall, and their 37-year-old father, Joseph Dingwall.
According to the Cocoa Police Department, the three bodies were discovered shortly after noon on a Wednesday following a 911 call placed by the children's mother. Investigators believe the father was responsible for the deaths based on evidence gathered at the scene.
The mother went to the residence to check on the children after they missed school, noting that it was her scheduled day for custody. Finding the front door ajar and unable to reach Joseph, she entered the home and discovered the bodies.
Local law enforcement learned from a neighbor that gunshots were heard near the residence around midnight. Surveillance footage captured by a nearby home around that time showed an unidentified man stepping outside, pacing in circles, and returning indoors.
A GoFundMe campaign has since been launched to support the children's mother, Olivia. The fundraiser described the siblings as best friends who were each other's entire world, detailing Remy as an intelligent and gifted boy and Aria as a bright and compassionate child who loved animals.
Donations from the fundraiser are intended to assist the mother with funeral and memorial costs, as well as immediate living expenses during her recovery from the tragedy. An additional fundraising effort has also been established on GiveSendGo.